With 4 teams of 6 players we celebrated the pre-easter break on our 12 April Saturday chess meeting in Discovery Bay. The team with most points would go first to select some Easter goodies.

Noah, Hop Hang, Kian and Chor Wei show interest in the Easter Prizes

The 4 teams were divided such that all teams were of equal strength. The board 1 players would only play against board 1 players of the other team, board 2 against board 2 and so on.

Team A: Miguel Angel, Thomas, Kian, Noah, Ritvik, Koza

Team B: Bryant, Wo Hang, Maximilien, Joshua, Fiona, Louis

Team C: Chor Wei, Ian, Alex, James, Seth, Hop Hang

Team D: Mei Jing, Samira, Mia, Saga, Kaya, Gauri

Team D, the all-girls team captained by Mei Jing, ended 0.5 points higher than Team A, 1.5 points higher than Team B and 2 points higher than Team C.

Well done girls!

Team Captains Miguel Angel and Bryant, and Maximilian and Fiona watch Joshua’s decisive last moves

Thomas, Kian, Noah and Ritvik of Team A on the left side.

The All Girl Team in Action

Mei Jing, Samira and Mia in Deep Thought

Alex, Seth, Hop Hang and James of Team C

HKCF, today, inform on their web site about their inter-school chess event on 8/9 March.

This tournament clashes with the Caissa Winter 2014 Finals planned for 9 March. We will need to reschedule our Finals and sincere apologies to all players already registered and who cannot make the new date which is Saturday March 1.

Refunds will be provided to all players who cannot change to participate on Saturday March 1 instead of the originally planned 9 March.

Tomorrow we will start our first experimental trial to use modern means to get world class quality chess into Hong Kong. International GM and 2012 Junior World Champion Alexander Ipatov will be holding a class on the Queens Gambit Declined via Skype at Caissa. The session will be projected onto a large whiteboard so the students can better see and interact with Ipatov.

As part of our program Training With The Best we are glad to have Ipatov aboard.

• What is this about? Series : Building Up Opening Repertoire
• What Opening is studied now? Queens Gambit Declined – Part 1: Basic
• Can I still join? Have you played a tournament already – yes? Then hurry up! ENROLL NOW.
  
• Can I join if I miss a lesson? We will record the sessions on DVD in case you miss a lesson.
• Why the Queens Gambit Declined? Let’s have Ipatov explain himself:

Queens Gambit Declined (often written as “QGD”) is probably the most classical chess opening. It was played on top level 100 years ago and hasn’t lost its popularity since then. QGD was the main field of opening battles in multiple World Championship matches. For example: in 1927 between Alexander Alekhine and Jose Raul Capablanca or in 1984-1985 between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. Talking about these days, QGD is successfully played by Magnus Carlsen, Vishy Anand, Levon Aronian, Teimour Radjabov and other elite players.

When I started to play chess, Queens Gambit Declined was the first opening I was taught by my first coach. He told me that understanding plans and ideas of QGD is the fundament for further growth. Making a comparison with life: if the building has no fundament, it can’t be build higher, as everything will fall down from the top. Same with chess. If a player is not aware of classical heritage, then he can never become a decent player. And I do believe that exploration of classical chess heritage must begin from learning and understanding plans and ideas of the Queens Gambit Declined.

“Queens Gambit Declined – Part 1: Basic” – online course which consists of 4 lessons, will help you to understand basic secrets of this opening. For deeper understanding, all plans and ideas will be demonstrated in games played by masters.

Good luck!

GM Alexander Ipatov

• Finally, what are the contents of the course? The course will be structured as follows:
  • Lesson 1: Carlsbad pawn structure – basis of the Queen’s Gambit Declined. Other openings where the Carlsbad pawn structure can arise. Introduction to typical plans for both sides in QGD. Analysing the first game ever played in Carlsbad pawn structure (1898!). Few other classical examples about Carlsbad pawn structure.
  • Lesson 2: How to attack in Carlsbad pawn structure with White : pawn minority attack.
  • Lesson 3: How to defend in Carlsbad pawn structure with Black : piece counterplay on the kingside & creating a barrier with b7-b5.
  • Lesson 4: Modern handling of the Queen’s Gambit Declined.